Chapter 20.—The Question Answered. Justification is Grace Simply and Entirely, Eternal Life is Reward and Grace.

This question, then, seems to me to be by no means capable of solution, unless we understand that even those good works of
ours, which are recompensed with eternal life, belong to the grace of God, because of what is said by the Lord Jesus: “Without
me ye can do nothing.”30593059John xv. 5. And the apostle himself, after saying, “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God: not of works, lest any man should boast;”30603060Eph. ii. 8, 9. saw, of course, the possibility that men would think from this statement that good works are not necessary to those who believe,
but that faith alone suffices for them; and again, the possibility of men’s boasting of their good works, as if they were
of themselves capable of performing them. To meet, therefore, these opinions on both sides, he immediately added, “For we
are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them.”30613061Eph. ii. 10. What is the purport of his saying, “Not of works, lest any man should boast,” while commending the grace of God? And then
why does he afterwards, when giving a reason for using such words, say, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works”? Why, therefore, does it run, “Not of works, lest any man should boast”? Now, hear and understand. “Not of
works” is spoken of the works which you suppose have their origin in yourself alone; but you have to think
of works for which God has moulded (that is, has formed and created) you. For of these he says, “We are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Now he does not here speak of that creation which made us human beings, but of that in reference
to which one said who was already in full manhood, “Create in me a clean heart, O God;”30623062Ps. li. 12. concerning which also the apostle says, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God.”306330632 Cor. v. 17, 18. We are framed, therefore, that is, formed and created, “in the good works which” we have not ourselves prepared, but “God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” 452It follows, then, dearly beloved, beyond all doubt, that as your good life is nothing else than God’s grace, so also the eternal
life which is the recompense of a good life is the grace of God; moreover it is given gratuitously, even as that is given
gratuitously to which it is
given. But that to which it is given is solely and simply grace; this therefore is also that which is given to it, because
it is its reward;—grace is for grace, as if remuneration for righteousness; in order that it may be true, because it is true,
that God “shall reward every man according to his works.”30643064Matt. xvi. 27; Ps. lxii. 12; Rev. xxii. 12.